Letter to Dave

I’d complain about the weather but I have a fairly intense cold so I
don’t think I can spare the effort to moan about more heaven-sent
thundersnow. I know you got the first taste of the big storm that
ended up here as you folks in Carrington, North Dakota always see the
weather about six hours prior to its arrival here in Minnesota.

I told you about the portable cattle shade structures I recently
built. These structures are made from 2×2 steel tube that basically
forms the skeleton of a small building. I had the foresight not to
install the shade cloth on top of the structure itself and that was
good because we received about 18 inches of snow. The shade fabric is
tough but I think that much heavy, wet snow would have ripped this
expensive, plastic burlap.

Dave, in the movie “the Christmas Story,” young Ralphie becomes part
of the “Little Orphan Annie Secret Society” club. He is overwhelmed
at the benefits of such club participation. I now belong to two clubs
which are not about membership or benefits but are kind of fun. The
first club is “the Boss” club and was earned a few years ago when I
purchased a snow plow of the same name. I always say that I climb
“Macho Mountain” every time I latch that beautiful red mass of metal
to the front of my truck. I guess membership does have its benefits
though as I got a hat. No purchase is ever complete until you get a
hat. My second membership is in the “Kit-Kat” club. The Kit Kat clock
is that iconic clock which is shaped like a cat and has eyes and a
tail that move with the passage of time. This is a club for those who
have purchased, or received as a gift in my case, a Kit Kat wall
clock. I think I got some stickers for this membership however the
clock itself is so cool and makes me feel good whenever I make time
to check the time.

Farming has been at a stand-still for me, Dave. I sold the cattle
last fall but will soon purchase more for the pasture season. I have
spent much of my winter in the shop creating stuff. I got pretty into
building wooden storage boxes this year and it reminded me so much of
my passion for bird houses as a youngster. Our brother, Darrel,
thought my bird house obsession may have been a precursor to deeper
mental problems however I just like to build. I got my welder’s card
and endorsement from Steiger Technical College after Bryan Steiger
let me build my shade structures one week-end and this skill-set
should allow me a new medium in which to obsessively create. I think
a mild steel bird house would be cold however it would be durable; I
‘ll have to pass that one on to the R & D team.